Hello, New wanna be mom but of which i cant decide, HELP

[wallygrey]

hi everyone,
I need some advice/opinions, (going to try to make it short)
I have been researching to find the right pet bird for months, reading and learning everything I can.
I narrowed it down to the timneh African grey and the amazon parrot (blue front or yellow naped)
now I cant decide which one, I would truly say both, but that's not practical! :) and since I'm giving over 40 yrs of my life, I want to pick the right one.

Can someone help me decide or steer me in the right direction?
my reason for wanting a bird, is I always wanted a bigger talking bird,
my children are now older (20and17), hence I now have the time to do some other things, empty nest when they are gone! lol
I want to train a bird and have it as a great companion/pet

I have my heart set on a grey
pro: I love the looks, the ability to talk, and be trained
con: I'm fearful he will bond with my husband, and hate me and my children. doesn't like baths
amazon
pro: loves to bath, love the looks and the ability to talk and train
con: "might" bond to someone else

over all personality of the birds so varies to almost every reading, its hard to say okey I want that one due to someone having a bad experience with either bird

is someone out there who has/had experienced both?
I have a lot to give to this ONE special bird
thanks in advance for your help/opinions
Tammy

[Addicted to Tequila]

Ever consider a Blue-crowned conure? Well known NOT to bond with one particular person, great temperament (if you ever have grandbabies... they can keep all 10 of their fingers! LOL), and pretty decent talkers!

Not to talk you out of what you want... but if bonding problems will be an issue, you might consider a few other choices that are good talkers and decently sized.

[Akasha]

Hi Tammy, nice to meet you! I am a bit biased because I breed Timnehs but I'll try to give you an honest opinion!
First off, there's not going to be any guarantee that any bird you get will talk, unless you get an older one that talks already. So, I hope the talking factor isn't the main reason that you want a bird.
Greys are truly wonderful birds but so are Amazons, both could possibly "bond" with someone else in your house, there's no guarantee there either. If well socialized when young, you should be able to have a bird that likes everyone in the family- they may still have their favorite person but should accept and like all members.
It seems you've given lots of thought to this and that is very comendable on your part, because birds are a life-long companion. Perhaps you should check around at pet stores or breeders in your area and see if a bird "picks" you! That has been known to happen and you might be surprised what you come home with. I wish you the best of luck and hope you find your special bird to love. (you may also want to consider adopting an older bird- there are lots of birds out there that need good homes and would make wonderful companions.)

[Halo]

I have a congo african grey and two mexican red head amazons. All three like all the members in my family, six year old twins included. They cannot handle Marti (the grey) but they can handle the amazons. Marti is just a snob LOL But I think it is best to visit either a rescue or bird store in your area so that you can see and interact with the birds and see if one just happens to take a liking to you! I also agree that rescues are a good way to go as 8 out of my 11 are older birds that had to be rehomed for one reason or another (well 9 if you count Twinkie, the accident! LOL) and they have all made really great additions to the family. I did however spend time with each of them before bringing them home.

[Addicted to Tequila]

Rescues are nice because you know exactly what you are getting. At least you do if everyone is honest. Don't let the honeymoon period fool you though!

[wallygrey]

thanks for the replys, i forgot to put in my posting, that i was afraid to rescue because of the age and not knowing the truth on how it was treated. (i thought if i raised one from a baby it would be better), i visited a breeder/rescue/pet store. the rescues she had each had issues, but yet were good with her, one really didnt care for her son.
she had a baby timneh that just rested on her chest that she showed me, but he was sold the owners were picking it up :( and if not he was so mellow i would have bought him! :) altho the cockatoo ther kept calling out for me..... lol (was that my bird to take) lol
my thought is to get a hand fed baby, and the day it is weened, i get it to start the bonding. :) ?????

[Addicted to Tequila]

Just remember... parrots are a lot like children. They have their own personalities... and as they grow, those personalities come to light and can be a bit... ummm... resistant to parental influence.

I think you are wonderful researching and all... it is important to put a lot of thought into a bird, just as you stated.

But I do think that you are slightly mistaken and setting yourself up for some pretty big letdowns by some of your presumptions.

I personally know 2 Greys (one a 5 year old Timneh, the other a 7 year old Congo) that were raised from babies, are in households with other talkers... and have never uttered a single word. The Congo is a male... we joke about him being "the strong but silent type!"

I have seen an awful lot of adolescent birds come into rescues that were raised by good people that did everything right. The owners were not able to handle the hormonal stage and some even looked at it as a horrid breech of trust and love. It is bad when a rescue bites you... it is sometimes devastating both physically and emotionally when the bird you have devoted the last two years to mauls you out of the blue.

I also know people that have adopted a 23 year old abused and neglected Amazon just over a year ago that have a bond with that bird that makes everyone in my bird club downright envious.

I hope you take this with the kindness I truly intended it with.

[catschair]

[ilovetoby]

I would go for the timneh personally. They are sweetie pies. Amazons can be abit moodier in my experience...but that's my opinion.